Henry Onyekuru, the wide-attacking 20-year-old Celtic targeted in January, looks set to join Arsenal from Belgian club KAS Eupen. The player had a tremendous season for his newly promoted club, alerting Celtic, and prompting a walkout by the player, when his hope of a transfer in the winter window was rejected.
The moral of this story is that it has become increasingly difficult to sign even 20-year-olds who had no pedigree a year ago, when Arsenal can bid £6.8m for a player who is likely to sit for most of the season in the stands.
For Celtic, the Onyekuru experience should be informative. The player came to Belgium from the Aspire Academy in Qatar. He joined the Academy’s Senegal training facility as a 13-year-old, before moving to the Aspire Football Dreams (AFD) project at the Qatari capital, Doha.
The AFD is a humanitarian project, allowing promising kids the best opportunity to develop as footballers, while receiving an educational scholarship. As you would expect from a Qatari project, it is not underfunded.
KAS Eupen were bought by the Aspire Zone Foundation five years ago and are the Qataris route to Europe for their Academy graduates.
Processes like Aspires costs money and takes time, perhaps a decade, to bear fruit, but the money involved isn’t beyond Celtic’s grasp. As we continue to look to innovate, this case study is worth contemplating.
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HAPPY HOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY to yon fine Celt From Ayrshire,
ANGELGABRIEL!!!
I can’t remember ŵho posted this yesterday,but it is a work of some genius.
https://mobile.twitter.com/InsidersABC/status/878766306261999616/video/1
Bobby, your post at 8.55am yesterday about that Fraser Wishart character , was spot on.
He is meant to be the head honcho of the show racism the red card at the SPFA but kept schtum when Neil and Aiden received a lot of anti Irish abuse and also when Scott Sinclair received the treatment at Ibrox .
Wishart and his sidekick, Tony Higgins, are getting paid for doing hee haw to protect their members from racist abuse.
To VFR`s WOTD , I think , during the short, close season, I will offer a Quote of the Day to help pass the time.
Today`s :
” Is it progress if a canibal uses a knife and fork.”
JJ
A ver
Hamilton Tim
Spot on. Linfield are the side with the problem staging the game, yet we end up inconvenienced and at a disadvantage with no supporters in the first leg while Linfield get their big pay day.
Bizarre.
HH
A very HOOPY BIRTHDAY to ANGELGABRIEL !! Ayrshire’s Green and White !!
O.K. , Bobby.
Hands up.
Who would prefer Corbyn representing UK in Brexit negotiations ?
DALLASDALLAS
Beats me why his members don’t boot his bahookie out the door,mate.
Btw,saw yer post the other day about the Jinky t-shirt. It must look superb wi the green star-but I’ve got the silver star on today!
HH
FIN 15 on 27TH JUNE 2017 7:20 AM
Big Packy
Francey Burns, Marnoch.
Who was the ex-Rangers captain who lived in Glenboig?
Jock ‘Tiger’ Shaw?
MACJAY
As I said,FUBAR’d either way…
MacJay
You support Theresa May and the UDA.
Thats the reality.
You dont really have a leg to stand on.
Support for the Conservatives, is support for the UDA.
Think about that.
HH
Jeremy Corybn before a tory, all day long, at least he would try and get a decent deal for the nation and not the party.
Who wouldn’t prefer Corbyn representing UK in Brexit negotiations?
HH
Dallas and Bobby, re. Wishart.
Agree totally that the man is a fraud and a fud – can’t understand how he is still in position. Remember also the time the Deid Club’s goalie McGregor was attacked in a Glasgow street in the early hours? Wishart was on the case the very next morning, implying that it was ridiculous a Rangers player couldn’t go out and enjoy himself without ‘rival’ fans attacking him – the clear implication that is was the dastardly Tims at it again, only for it to come out that his missus had whacked him with her stiletto heel because he was playing away from home. Then not a suasage from the fud!
By the way Dallas, in some ways Tony Higgins is more of a disappointment, him being a right good Tim!
On my way to meet the excellent CQN’er SFTB. A real treat for this Tim in exile.
HH
Traditionalist88
Absolutely 100% Corbyn over Maggie May and the terrorists.
And I’d rather have Diane Abbott at his side (healthy). Take 5 mins and look at Diane Abbotts political car ear and tell me how many Maggie Mays she is worth. I’d say 500 Maggies makes up 1 Diane Abbott.
I’d also add GRFUY Macjay. He’ll awaits you and your like minded fools.
MWD
STARRYPLOUGH
Give T my regards,mate. I suspect you’ll get on famously!
HH
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 27TH JUNE 2017 9:46 AM
MacJay
You support Theresa May and the UDA.
===========================================
Cloud cuckoo land.
Guilt by association.
So.
A grand total of 3 preferences for Jezza.
That`s THREE .
Now.
The burning question of the day.
Will they need a bigger phone box ?
Moonbeamswd on 27th June 2017 9:57 am
Yep – it was Tory miscalculation of the will of the people that led to a vote on our status in Europe to begin with, and another Tory miscalculation that brought about an election to supposedly strengthen their hand.
Not to be trusted in such monumental discussions, as the DUP deal clearly highlights,
HH
Macjay
You support a party of bigots who want to murder catholics.
If that does not show how misguided you are, i dont know what to say to you.
Obviously you dont really understand what the DUP represent.
I must say, im surprised at you.
However, it only exposes your ignorance in relation to politics.
Id urge you to think about what you are supporting.
HH
Macjay
You support May, You get Arlene Foster.
Why would you support people who hate you?
That does not make sense.
HH
Pluck of the Irish – PM’s deal with the DUP to stay in power could end up costing British taxpayers £24.3bn.
Forcing the Tories to fully ditch their plan to end the pensions Triple Lock in 2020 – costing as much as £14bn over two years.
Ripping up Tory plans to means test Winter Fuel Payments so even wealthy pensioners will still get it for a further five years – costing £8.5 billion over five years.
Guaranteeing farming to Northern Ireland once EU cash is withdrawn for at least three years after Brexit in 2019 – costing £780m.
Theresa May and Dave Davis are doing a great job in the Brexit negotiations.
Top class intellects, fully on top of their brief, and with all the people skills such a job requires..
But most of all strong and stable.
Strong and stable.
And if they ever need assistance they can always rely on Boris.
Great chap Boris.
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 27TH JUNE 2017 10:06 AM
You know that none of that is true.
Don`t you.
I support one thing and one thing only.
The best possible deal for ALL the inhabitants of U.K.
Jeremy ? Are you kidding ?
Thank God the smart British public know better.
In spite of silly Theresa who should have sacked the fools who advised her to ” increase her majority . ”
The tragedy.
There is no credible alternative.
Theresa May is turning out to be even more inept than Cameron was.
The next UK government will be a Labour one.
THE DONALD on 27TH JUNE 2017 10:06 AM
You`re very well informed , mate.
I always have to ” research ” the examples you give…..
:-)
….which is a good thing.
Macjay
Id rather have Labour negotiating Brexit than a woman who lies constantly and has been rejected in her quest for a majority.
She is a bumbling fool, who can hardly string a sentence together. A woman prepared to ignore the very real possibilty of violence in the north, to satisfy her own sense of personal glory.
As for you support for the Tories, you cant pick and choose, you have signed up, lock, stock, and barrel….including the murderous DUP/UDA.
You want May, you get Foster and the UDA.
I can recognise that, and so can everybody else…..even if you are unable to grasp it.
Vote Conservative, Get the DUP/UDA.
Thats who you are supporting…..like it or not.
HH
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 27TH JUNE 2017 10:33 AM
I still don’t understand why May has done a deal with the DUP.
The DUP were never going to support Labour, and they weren’t going to support an early election.
Likewise the Lib Dems and SNP would not vote for an early election.
I suppose it’s more about protecting her position as Tory party leader than anything else. She is entirely self serving.
I see the politicos are out in strength this morning – a bit reflective of the damp dull weather here in North Staffs.
Looks like Anton Rodgers is on a bit of a training exercise – don’t think he currently has a club.
Oh! apologies the Donald, for my remiss, I care you less than insignificant hence I forgot to name you in my last post. How disrespectful can a working man be?
At least Kevj posts about Celtic even though his posts never disappoint at being disappointing :)
Ernie Lynch
Its clear enough to me.
May is prepared to do almost anything to retain her fantasy.
Its no surprise to me that she is willing to get into bed with Arlene.
It wont work.
If you ask me, give it 4-6 months and there will be another election.
Corbyn will win, and i will vote for him.
The sooner the better.
This country needs that Labour Manifesto…..Pronto.
HH
ANGELGABRIEL
Happy birthday my friend!
(are you 84 too?)
:-)
Correction – three people bothered to reply to banal drivel…
CQN is starting to resemble that old Norman Collier microphone joke:)
HH
What ……you……..?
Scorchio, way down south, so’s you know, for anyone north of Tonbridge.